Therapeutical heating device



March 5, 1940. CROSS 2,192,768

THERAPEUTICAL HEATING DEVI CE Filed June 20, 1939 THOMAS J. .Cnoss INVENTOR Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to therapeutical equipment and has particular reference to a device for applying heat to the genito-urinary organs of the body for the treatment of certain pathological conditions such as gonorrhea, endometritis, salpingitis, ulcerative cervicitis, and the like in females, as well as prostatitis in males.

The primary object of the invention is to provide, in a device of this character, a means for circulating heat in close proximity with affected parts of the genito-urinary and contiguous organs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible guide means whereby the expansible tubing of the device may be inserted into body cavities with little or no difficulty.

These and other objects will readily be appreciated from the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of the genital region of a female body, showing the invention partially expanded and in operative position.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the invention showing part of the expansible tubing in fragmentary section.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on lines 55 of Figure 2.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, the numeral I generally designates a cylindrical body or frame unit which is divided by a partition 2 into an inlet chamber 3 and an outlet chamber 4. In the form of the invention shown, each chamber 3 and 4 has projecting tubular appendages 5 and 6, all of which extend from the unit I in substantially the same direction, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. The inlet chamber 3 has an inlet tube 1 in the wall thereof, and similarly, the outlet chamber 4 is provided with an outlet tube 8, as shown in Figure 2. The ends of the chambers 3 and 4 are closed by upper and lower caps 9 and III.

Around the outer ends of the appendages 5 and 6 there are positioned resilient collars II in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. These collars provide connections for the ends of upper and lower expansible tubes I2 and I3 which extend from the appendages 5 of the inlet chamber 3 to the appendages 6 of the outlet chamber I. Retaining mean, such as rubber bands (not shown) may be used to seal the ends of the tubes I2 and I3 about the collars II.

Within each of the appendages 5 and 6 there is brazed, or otherwise secured, a guide holder I I which extends outwardly into the tubes I2 and I3, as particularly illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. Extending through the expansible tubes I2 and I3 there are positioned flexible upper and lower guides Iii and It which are attached to the outer ends a of the holder I4, as shown in Figure 5. The guides I5 and IE, which may be of relatively thick tubing or of solid, material, and, when connected and arranged in this manner, form elongated loops which make possible the positioning of the separate tubes I2 and I3 on opposite sides of a projecting part within the body, as shown in Figure 1.

In operation, the guides I5 and I6 and the expansible tubes I2 and I3 are inserted into the body orifice which opens nearest the affected part. The inlet tube 1 of the chamber 3 is connected by means of a flexible tube [1 to a source of hot water, or other heated liquid, which is of predetermined temperature. The water is then conducted through the inlet chamber 3 where it divides under hydrostatic pressure and enters the expansible tubes I2 and I3 where it expands the latter to such a limit as the walls of the body cavity will permit. Thence the water passes through the outlet chamber 4 and the outlet tube 8 where it; is carried oil by a flexible tube I8.

Since water may be supplied at predetermined temperatures and under constant pressure, there is little or no danger of burning the patient, and, by reason of the expansibility of the tubes I2 and I3, the heat will reach the area or region requiring treatment.

What I claim is:

1. In a therapeutical heating device, a looped guide member, an expansible looped tube enclosing the loop of the said guide, an inlet at one end of the said tube, and an outlet at the other end of the said tube.

2. In a therapeutical heating device, a looped guide member, an expansible looped tube enclosing the loop of the said guide, and inlet and outlet means for circulating heated water through the said tube.

3. In a therapeutical device, a looped guide member, an expansible looped tube enclosing the said guide, an inlet and an outlet in the said tube, and means within said inlet and the said outlet for supporting the said guide.

4. In a therapeutical heating device, an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, an expansible tubEconnecting each of the said chambers, a flexible guide Within the said tube, and guide holders attached to the said chambers and supporting the said guide.

5. A therapeutical heating device comprising an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, expansible tubes connecting the said inlet chamber with the said outlet chamber, and a flexible guide sup- 5 ported within each of the said tubes.

6. A therapeutical heating device comprising an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, expansible tubes connecting the said inlet chamber with the said outlet chamber, flexible guides within the said tubes, and means within the said chambers for supporting the said guides.

THOMAS J. CROSS. 

